Carrier for bottles.



G. E. BROWN. CARRIER FOR BOTTLES. APPLXCATION FlLED APR-27. 1914.

Patentd Dec. 26,1916.

mwm

Fig. 2.

Fig.1.

lnvenror. George E B byflwiw TOWN \NiTnesses. f/V 7 dd/J? GEORGE E. BROWN, OF LOWELL, MASSACHUSETTS.

CARRIER FOR BOTTLES.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Gnonon E. BROWN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lowell, county of Middlesex, State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Carriers for Bottles, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawing, is a specification, like characters on the drawing representing like parts. I

This invention has reference to carriers for bottles, jars and the like and has for an object to provide an improved carrier which may be cheaply manufactured and which may be conveniently applied and removed from the-neck of a bottle, jar or similar article.

The invention has also for an object, to provide a bottle carrier, having as a part thereof. a piercing member which may be thrust through the paperboard cap of a milk bottle to remove said cap, the device being so designed that the carrier may provide a convenient support for the removed bottle cap to support it in a sanitary manner, so that it may be re-placed when desired.

In accordance with my invention I provide a carrier constructed of wire, in which one piece ot wire has a portion bent to form a bail presenting substantially parallel side members and having another portion bent to provide a fixed jaw shaped to fit against the neck of a bottle and in which a second wire is bent to Form a cooperating-jaw and is slidably connected at its ends to the parallel side members of the bail whereby the secondwire forms agravity operated jaw, the slidable jaw being free to slide to closheld in a proper position.

Referring to the drawing in which I have illustrated a preferred form of my invention, Figure 1 is a side view of my improved carrier illustrated as attached to the neck of a milk bottle; Fig. 9. is a front view of the same; Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the carrier; Fig. 4 is a. view of the carrier removed from the bottle illustrating its use to hold the removed bottle cap and Fig. 5

is a perspective view illustrating the manner of applying the carrier to a bottle.

Referring to the d rawing in detail, I have illustrated a bottle carrier constructed in accordance with my invention consisting'of a wire 1, bent to form a bail, having substantially parallel side members, 2, 3, and

Specification of Letters Patent.

111g or clamping position when .the bail is Patented DeoZfi, 1916.

Application filed April 27, 1914. Serial No. 834,660.

another portion bent to form a jaw 4 to fit against the side of the bottle. In the form illustrated the jaw 1 is formed by the ends of the wire which are connected together in any convenient manner. Preferably one end of the wire is sharpened and is bent to form aprojecting piercing member more or less in the form of a hook as illustrated at 5. A

. second piece of wire 6, is bent to form acooperating jaw to fit against the opposite side of the bottle neck. This jaw member 6 is connected to the bail 1 so as to move bodily longitudinally thereof and also so as to'have' a rocking movement. This is herein accomplished by providing the wire 6 with loops at its, ends which loosely fit about the parallel side members of the bail,-said loops having a loose enough fit. to provide for the rocking movement as well as the movement longitudinally of the bail. The jaw 6, constitutes a gravity-actuated jaw which operates automatically to grip the bottle neck after the device has been applied to the bottle and when the bail is brought into vertical position.

To apply the carrier to the bottle, the bail is turned into a more or less horizontal position this allowing'the loose gravity actuated jaw 6, to move bodily on the bail and to rock or swing relative to the bail thereby to open away from the fixed jaw 4, and when the parts are in this position the device may be dropped over the neck of the bottle as shown in F ig. 5. To cause the device to grip the bottle neck it is simply necessary to raise the bail 1 into the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2, for as the bail is raised the jaw 6 drops by gravity into its clamping position shown in Fig. 1 and as the weight of the bottle comes on the bail, said jaw is automatically held in this position by virtue of the manner in which it is connected to the bail 1. To remove the device from the bottle the bail 1 is allowed to move over into the will assume by gravity when it is released and when in this position it can be raised vertically from the bottle. When the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 5, the

.-bringing of the jaw 6 into clamping engagement with the bottle involves merely raising v the bail l and this is the act which a person naturally performs in picking the bottle up.

My invention therefore, provides a device which vrequires no special manipulation to cause it to grip the bottle neck or to be, re

leased therefrom and this result is secured because of the fact that the aw 6 is loosely mounted on the bail and has a bodily movement thereon and also because of the fact that it is a gravity actuated member which falls by gravity into position to engage the bottle neck as the bail is raised. Another advantage of my construction is that when the bail is released, it naturally assumes a position as shown in Fig. 5, in which position it is below the top of the bottle and thus does not give any additional height thereto. Hence it is not necessary to remove the device from the bottle when the bottle is to be placed in a refrigerator or on a shelf. Furthermore when the device is in its inoperative position shown in Fig. 5,-it does not interfere at all with wiping ofli' the neck of :the bottle or pouring the contents from the bottle.

The piercing member 5 provides a convenient means for removing the paper cap 10, that is commonly used for sealing a milk bottle and my device is so constructed that it can be used to hold such paper cap when temporarily removed from the bottle. For instance if the device has been used to remove a paper cap then it may be laid on a 'table or other support in the position shown in Fig. .4, in which position the paper cap is held out of contact with the table and will thus be kept sanitary. If desired, the device with the paper cap thereon may be applied to the bottle neck and retained thereon, in which case the device would have the general position shown in Fig. 5.

I desire again to emphasize that in my device the jaw 6 is bodily movable freely on the bail and is a gravity actuated member and that the operation of lifting the bottle involves merely raising the bail into its vertical position during which the jaw 6 falls by gravity into its operative position as shown in Fig. 1;

While I have illustrated a selected embodiment, of my invention, I do not wish to be limited to the constructional features shown.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A carrier for bottles comprising a wire having one portion bent to form a bail and another portion bent to form a fixed jaw of permanent shape to fit against the neck of the bottle and a second wire bent to form a gravity-actuated jawwhich is slidable bodily on the bail, whereby when the carrier is applied to the neck of a bottle the gravity-actuated jaw will automatically come into operative position by the act of bringing the bail into a vertical position.

'2. A carrier for bottles comprising a bail presenting substantially parallel side members, a fixed jaw of permanent shape secured to the lower ends of said side members and a movable jaw slidable bodilyon said parallel side members and loosely connected thereto so as to permit said jaw to rock as well as to slide whereby when the carrier is applied to the neck of a bottle the bodily slidable jaw will automatically come into operative position by the act of bringing the bail into a vertical position.

3. In a carrier for bottles the combination with a wire having one portion bent to form a bail presenting substantially parallel side members and another portion bent to provide a fixed jaw and having its end bent to pro- ,vide a piercing member projecting laterally from said jaw; of a second wire bent to form a cooperating jaw and having its ends loosely engaging and slidably mounted on said side members whereby the slidable jaw will be moved to operative position by gravity when the bail is brought into a vertical or inclined position.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence or two subscribing witnesses.

GEORGE E. BROWVN.

Witnesses LoUIs C. SMITH, THOMAS J. DRUMMoNn. 

